Shortly after midnight on New Year's Day 2021, Morgan Metzer awoke to a masked figure in the doorway of her second‑floor bedroom in Canton, Georgia. What began as a terrifying home invasion ended with an even more harrowing revelation: the man who arrived moments later to "rescue" her was, investigators say, the person who had just attacked her — her ex‑husband, Rod Metzer.
Attack, Restraint and Survival
Morgan described the intruder as dressed in black, wearing a mask and gloves, and using a low, altered voice. He bound her wrists with pre‑looped, intertwined zip ties, pistol‑whipped and strangled her until she neared unconsciousness, and sexually assaulted her. He demanded valuables and the passcode to her phone, which he used to manipulate her home alarm and erase security footage.
"It's an out‑of‑body experience," Morgan said later. "I thought, ‘they're not going to have a mom.'"
The ‘Rescue’ and a Startling Recognition
Forty minutes later, while blindfolded and left on her back porch, Morgan heard footsteps and a familiar voice ask, "Oh honey, what happened?" Her ex‑husband, Rod, had arrived and called 911. Although he appeared to be her rescuer, Morgan quietly told investigators she believed the attacker was someone she knew. Two details — a threatening line referencing her husband and the distinctive, gentle way the attacker lifted her from the bed — convinced her it was Rod.
Investigators Piece Together the Plot
Detectives uncovered multiple lines of corroborating evidence. Security footage of the attack had been deleted via the app on Morgan's phone, which the assailant took and which was never recovered. But other video captured Rod near the property earlier that evening. Officers found that a basement window had been tampered with and an alarm sensor obstructed so it would not trigger.
Searches of Rod's apartment and car yielded a bag of black zip ties and a unique zip‑tie tail whose microscopic striations matched an extra head on the ties used to bind Morgan's wrists. Records showed Rod purchased identical zip ties from Lowe's on Dec. 30 — footage from the store captured his face. Investigators also recovered hidden, intimate photos of Morgan on Rod's phone and screenshots of her private messages that she had not consented to. Digital traces included disturbing internet queries from Rod's devices: "how to change your voice," "how long to choke somebody unconscious," "how to crack an iPhone password," and searches about forging cancer documents.
Motive: Manipulation and Control
Prosecutors say Rod had been staging circumstances to manipulate Morgan — including fabricating a pancreatic cancer diagnosis with forged documents to elicit sympathy and pressure her to reconcile. A book found in his apartment titled "7 Ways to Be Her Hero" and his conduct suggested an apparent plan to harm Morgan and then present himself as her savior to regain control.
Charges, Plea and Aftermath
Rod Metzer was arrested and charged with multiple counts related to the attack and illicit photography. On Aug. 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to 14 counts, including home invasion, kidnapping, aggravated assault and sexual battery, and accepted a 70‑year sentence with a 25‑year custodial term followed by 45 years of probation. He is barred from contacting Morgan or their children.
At sentencing Morgan delivered a powerful victim impact statement describing years of abuse, gaslighting and manipulation. Since the conviction she has pursued therapy, focused on raising her twins and begun advocacy work to raise awareness about narcissistic abuse, coercive control and gaslighting.
Key Players and Reactions
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe and detectives described the case as strongly supported by physical and digital evidence. Rod's family expressed disbelief and concern for his health; Rod, who has Type 1 diabetes, has insisted on his innocence in calls from jail. Morgan's friends and family praised her resilience and said she is committed to helping others in similar situations.
Note: This account synthesizes court records, law enforcement interviews and statements from the victim and prosecutors. All factual details reflect the case as presented at the time of Rod Metzer's guilty plea and sentencing.
Morgan and Rod Metzer met as teenagers and were together 20 years before divorcing / Credit: Morgan Metzer
Morgan Metzer said her decision to file for divorce came after years of what she described as mental and physical abuse from Rod Metzer. / Credit: Kathy Metzer
Morgan Metzer's assailant used zip ties to constrain her wrists before strangling her nearly unconscious twice. / Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office
An image from the home security camera on Morgan Metzer's porch shows Cherokee County investigators taking Rod Metzer into custody. / Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office
Rod Metzer is seen on Morgan Metzer's home security camera earlier in the day of the attack. / Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office
Investigators executed a search warrant of Rod Metzer's s apartment and found a bag of zip ties along with a portion of a zip tie. / Credit: Cherokee County District Attorney's Office
A crime lab technician confirmed the portion of the zip tie found in Rod Metzer's apartment lined up with the zip ties used on Morgan Metzer's wrists. / Credit: Cherokee County District Attorney's Office
Cherokee County investigators confront Rod Metzer about the zip ties found in his apartment. / Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office
Rod Metzer, right, is seen in a zoomed in image from security video purchasing zip ties at a Lowe's store on Dec. 30, 2020 / Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office
Rod Metzer is seen in security video leaving his apartment building carrying a plastic bag, highlighted, that had never been found. Investigators believe it has evidence Rod discarded on his drive back to his ex-wife's house. / Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office
Morgan Metzer, right, with her best friend Nichole Stabasefski. / Credit: CBS News
